Joshua ready to step in to take Fury’s place

ANTHONY JOSHUA is ready and willing to take on Wladimir Klitschko later this year if Tyson Fury is stripped of his title belts, promoter Eddie Hearn has said.

The heavyweight title rematch between Fury and Klitschko was cancelled for a second time on Friday night after the Briton was declared “medically unfit to fight”.

That clash had been due to take place in Manchester on October 29 but Fury (right), whose previous attempt at a rematch with Klitschko in July was abandoned after the WBA and WBO champion sustained an ankle injury, will now undergo treatment.

It is not known how long Fury will be out for, but undefeated IBF champion Joshua – who is in line to make the second defence of his title in Manchester on November 26 – has thrown his hat in the ring to fight Ukrainian Klitschko.

However, Joshua’s promoter Hearn insists their primary goal is still an all-British showdown against Fury, and hopes the 28-year-old Mancunian does not end up having his crowns taken away by the governing bodies.

Hearn said: “From our side, if Wladimir Klitschko against Anthony Joshua can be made for the WBA and the IBF belts, for November 26, we are taking that fight, no question.

“But, as always in boxing it’s a very complicated process, there’s so much that needs to happen and I don’t feel like they’ll strip Tyson Fury just yet. I hope they don’t, because we want the winner of that fight, Fury against Klitschko.

“We want to fight Tyson Fury really, that’s a unification fight between two Brits in the heavyweight division. It’s never happened before and it’ll never again.”